Gwinnett County Public Schools Named AP District of the Year

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), Georgia’s largest school district and the 13th largest district in the nation, was named recently a College Board Advanced Placement® District of the Year for being the national leader among large school districts (defined as 50,000 or more students) in expanding access to AP courses while simultaneously improving AP Exam performance.

Gwinnett County Public Schools was one of 433 school districts across the U.S. and Canada that achieved placement on the annual AP District Honor Roll. From this list, three AP Districts of the Year—one for each category of district population size: small, medium, and large—were selected based on an analysis of three academic years of AP data.

“We look for data from districts that are casting a wide net and find students like me, like many others, who would otherwise fall through the cracks and never make it to college,” said Trevor Packer, head of the College Board’s AP program. “Over the past 3 years, 1,500 more students have joined these college level courses and Gwinnett’s scores have gone up.”

“We are excited that the work of our students and teachers has been recognized by College Board,” says CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks. “There are a lot of school districts out there, and to be named ‘District of the Year’ is quite an achievement. This is an honor that should be celebrated in every single one of our clusters, as it recognizes the hard work and achievement of students and teachers throughout the district.”

AP Students, teachers, GCPS administrators, and school officials came together at Duluth High School, whose mission is “challenging all to succeed,” to recognize this momentous occasion. Duluth High School AP student Cameren Carter, who plans to attend Columbia University in New York City this fall, delivered inspirational but candid remarks about his journey with AP, which drew laughter from the audience.

“Everything I’m about to say is 1000% the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I’m going to take this time to tell you basically how AP has changed my life,” said Cameren Carter, who has taken 10 AP courses. “Aside from the increased college interest and knocking out some college credits, I learned a lot more about myself. I learned critical learning skills, which showed me not only how to come up with some ideas to answer difficult questions, but also how to logically connect my thoughts and evaluate the why, rather than just the what.”

The district will also be honored in Washington, DC, during the 2017 AP Annual Conference in July. For more information about the upcoming conference, visit apac.collegeboard.org.

Congratulations to all the educators, parents, and students whose dedication and hard work are behind this much deserved recognition.